Hard Work and Determiniation
by Composer151
Summary: Tenten Sensei always used to say that hard work and determination could get you out of any situation. Can hard work and determination bring my father back to life? Can hard work and determination tell me who my mother is? It definitely wasn't hard work and determination that cursed me with the Hyuga family name. [Sequal to Stronger Than Yesterday] [7-year Time Skip] [Mostly Canon]
1. Chapter 1

Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud.

Tenten looked down the training field, admiring the handy work of her student. Nine shurikens were currently wedged together in the center, smallest circle of a target, and one was outside the bull's eye, but still on the target. She turned her head to look at her student before she praised him.

"Great job, Kugi. You got nine out of ten. You're showing some real improvement."

The young boy huffed. "I still can't get the last one."

Tenten smiled. "You're psyching yourself out. You need to stay calm the entire time." She turned to look at her next student. "Okay, Mie, you're next."

The young girl grabbed some shuriken from her pouch and threw them at the next target in the line.

Thud… thud, thud… thud, thud, thud… thud.

"Great!" Tenten said. "Seven hit and three in a row were all bulls' eyes."

Mie simply smiled shyly, embarrassed by how bad she did, compared to Kugi. Tenten looked over to her third, and final student.

"Alright Jin, you're up."

Jin grabbed some shuriken from his pouch, similar to his teammates, and threw them. No sound came from the metal piercing the wooden stump. The only sound was of the metal crashing to the ground ten times. Jin growled in response. Tenten approached him and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay, Jin. You're just beginning, it's okay to miss a few times."

The young boy turned around swiftly and glared at Tenten.

"You say that, but what about him?" Jin asked, pointing at Kugi. "He's five years younger than us and he got a 90% accuracy. I don't know why Kabuto is making me do this. I'm never going to be a good ninja."

Tenten crouched down and held onto Jin's shoulders, looking hard into his eyes.

Jin, you have so much talent that you don't even realize. How well Kugi does at accuracy training shouldn't matter to you. Everyone has his or her strengths and weaknesses. We're all different from one another. Kabuto sent you to the academy because he knew you belonged there, and I agree."

Jin glanced up at Tenten, not convinced by her words, but he did not reply after that. When she heard the silent response, she smiled and stood up.

"I do believe that we should call it a day of training. Pack up your things and you all can start heading home."

The three students walked over to the targets to pick up their scattered shuriken. Jin, who had the least trouble, considering they were all on the ground and not wedged in the wood, approached Tenten.

"Do I really have to go back there? Why can't we train the rest of the night?"

Tenten looked at Jin. "For every minute you spend training, you should spend at least that much time resting. Over-training is a real thing."

"I hate it there," Jin said with a frown.

Tenten smiled and ignored her student's pessimism. "Well, aren't you lucky that you have a place to go home to and you're not stuck on the street?"

Jin did not reply, only continued to pout.

Tenten laughed and pushed Jin along the field.

"Go home, Jin. Everything will be fine. We'll meet back here tomorrow to train."

"Fine," Jin groaned as he began to walk away.

"Oh, Jin, by the way," Tenten shouted.

Jin turned around and gave Tenten his attention.

"If I hear that you didn't go back to the orphanage tonight, there will be extreme consequences," Tenten said with an eerie shadow casting over her face.

Jin let out a small shriek.

"Yes, Sensei, of course."

Jin turned back around and took off running away from the training field. Tenten chuckled to herself as Mie stood next to her and gave Tenten a bright smile.

"Don't worry Tenten Sensei, I'll make sure he gets home."

Tente smiled and patted Mie's head.

"Thank you, Mie."

Mie smiled one more time at her teacher before she took off. Once Mie was out of sight, Tenten turned to look at her last student, still lingering on the training grounds. As Tenten was talking to Jin and Mie, Kugi removed his shuriken from the tree trunk and started to do extra practice on his aim. Tenten smiled and approached him, as he was about to throw his last shuriken.

"Boo!" Tenten shouted once she got close to Kugi.

She shouted mere seconds before Kugi's shuriken left his hand, and the shock Tenten gave him caused him to miss the bull's eye. He growled and turned around sharply, Byakugan activated, ready to fight whoever snuck up on him.

"Very good reaction," Tenten began, praising him. "Next time try to keep your guard up the whole time, though. Anyone could have snuck up on you and attacked you."

Kugi did not respond to Tenten as he turned around and began to gather his shuriken again. This time, he placed his weapons back into his pouch, choosing not to partake in yet another round of target practice. Once he was finished packing up, he looked at Tenten.

"Are you going to Uncle Naruto's party today?"

"Yes I am," Tenten said with a smile. "But you know, you really should be calling him Hokage now. I mean, that is what the part is for."

"He will never be anything more than my fool of an uncle," Kugi replied with a straight face.

Tenten laughed and patted his head. "You are just as stoic as your father was. Why don't you smile a little bit more?"

Kugi kept a straight face until Tenten started to poke at his midsection. His expression quickly turned to a tense one as he was trying his hardest to show no emotion. Eventually, his senses got the best of him and he began to laugh with a large smile spread on his face.

"Okay, okay. I give. Please stop, Sensei."

Tenten backed up and smirked at Kugi.

"You're just as ticklish as your father too."

Kugi gave a quick smile to Tenten before it faded into an expression of sadness.

"Tenten Sensei, do you think my dad would be proud of me?"

Tenten felt her heart drop. She walked closer to Kugi and crouched down so she was eye-level with him.

"Of course he would be proud of you. You are an excellent shinobi, and even greater than that, you have a kind and caring heart."

Kugi's sad expression disappeared and his black expression returned to his face.

"Grandpa Hiashi said I get that from my mom."

Tenten was left speechless at her student's comment. She opened her mouth, thinking about what to say next, but no words came to mind. Luckily, Kugi spoke again, breaking the silence.

"Can I stay at your place until Uncle Naruto's party? We could go together."

A pained look passed Tenten's eyes while she sighed. She wanted nothing more than to spend every moment she could with Kugi, but she knew what the consequences were if she tried to overstep her boundaries.

"You really need to go home and check in with your grandfather. I don't want him or the elders worrying about your whereabouts."

"The elders won't worry about me. They let me know on a regular basis that I'm the bastard child that ruined the Hyuga clan's name."

"Come on, kiddo," Tenten said, standing back up and patting Kugi's head again. "Regardless of what the elders think, your grandfather will worry about you so you need to get home. We'll meet up again very soon, okay?"

"Okay," Kugi mumbled.

"Good. Great job with training today, by the way. Just remember for tomorrow to be stronger than today."

Kugi gave a sharp nod as he took off away from the training ground.

xxx

"Tenten! I'm so glad you could make it."

Hinata approached Tenten and gave her a tight hug. Tenten pulled back after a moment and smiled back at her friend.

"I'd never miss it. It seems like just yesterday that we all thought Naruto was sputtering nonsense about being Hokage and now look at him. He fought harder than anyone I know to achieve his dreams."

"I couldn't be more proud of him," Hinata responded.

Before Tenten could respond again, the front door to the Uzumaki house opened up once more. Hiashi Hyuga entered the house with a young Kugi Hyuga by his side. Hinata quickly noticed the new quests.

"Father! I am so happy you were able to come!"

Hinata walked over to her father and gave him a loving hug as he replied.

"This is a very special occasion for my daughter and her husband. There is nothing that would keep me away."

"Thank you, Father, I appreciate it very much," Hinata said with a smile. Once she was done speaking, a five-year-old Boruto ran around from behind his mother, holding a toy laser gun. He held it up to his grandfather and pretended to shoot.

"Bam! I got you, evildoer. The world is now safe thanks to the strength of The Bolt!"

Hiashi took a moment to stare at his grandson before he made a dramatic scene, pretending to die.

"How could this be?! I'm not ready to go! Tell my family I love them! Blah…"

Tenten and Hinata giggled at Hiashi's reaction. Hiashi smiled and stood back up straight. Boruto quickly noticed the small child standing by his grandfather's side.

"Kugi!"

Boruto ran up to his cousin and began to talk loudly to him, very close to his face.

"Kugi, you should come play with me! Let's go to my room and play!"

Kugi simply rolled his eyes and ignored his cousin. Hiashi gave a sharp glare to his grandson in return.

"Kugi, do not be impolite."

"But Grandfather…" Kugi began to complain. Before he had a chance to say anymore, Tenten spoke.

"You should really play with Boruto, Kugi. He looks up to you and you should be a good role model for him. If you continue to ignore him, you're eventually going to regret it."

Kugi looked up at his sensei and pondered for a moment. Next, he sighed heavily with his eyes closed and he followed Boruto up into his room. Once he was gone, Hiashi looked at his daughter.

"Hinata, if Naruto is not busy at the moment, I would like to speak to you two, along with Tenten, privately."

"Of course," Hinata said before she went on a search for her husband. She quickly found him standing in the kitchen, partaking in lively chatter with Kiba, Choji, and Shikamaru. Hinata approached Naruto and whispered in his ear. He nodded at her then looked over at his friends.

"Sorry, I gotta go guys. I'll be right back."

Shikamaru and Choji nodded while Kiba smirked.

"You take all the time you kids need. Try not to make too much noise, okay?" Kiba said, following his words with wailing laughter. His comment earned him a smack on the head from both Shikamaru and Choji.

Choosing to ignore Kiba's perverted mind, Naruto and Hinata turned to meet up with Hiashi and Tenten. The four adults made their way up the stairs into Naruto's office so they could speak without another's presence. Once everyone was inside the room and the door what shut, Hiashi began.

"First of all, am I correct in hearing that Himawari has awoken her Byakugan?"

Naruto nodded. "Yup, I saw it all myself yesterday, the pale eyes and the veins. She was mad at Boruto and tried to attack him. I stepped in front of her and she ended up nailing my chakra point. She knocked me out and I didn't wake up until a few hours ago."

"Wait," Tenten asked. "You were inaugurated yesterday. How could you have just woken up a few hours ago?"

"Konohamaru used a Transformation Jutsu and stood in for Naruto," Hinata answered Tenten.

"Some things never change," Tenten said with a sigh.

Hiashi quickly cleared his throat, getting everyone attention once again.

"While I am ecstatic that my granddaughter has inherited this wonderful gift, I have some unfortunate news that I must deliver."

Everyone was silent before Hinata spoke.

"What is it, Father?"

Hiashi made eye contact with everyone in the room, ending his gaze with Tenten. He looked into her eyes as he spoke his next words.

"The council has decided that Kugi must receive the curse mark."

* * *

So just in case anyone missed it, Tenten is now a genin squad leader. On her team is two twelve-year-olds, Mie, and Jin, in being an orphan. Kugi, her son is also on her team, 5 years earlier than most children. Kugi is not aware that Tenten is his mother. All the drama and angst, I love it.


	2. Chapter 2

Hey everyone! I am SOOO sorry it took me so long to update. Like, I'm really, really, really sorry. But I'm happy to announce that I am done with the worst college semester of my life and I am now on summer break and will hopefully be updating much more than I had before. Also, huge shoutout to my reviewers that told me to take my time on my updates. That really lowers my anxiety a ton, thanks, guys!"

* * *

W-what?" Tenten muttered with a stutter.

I am very sorry, Tenten," Hiashi replied to her, bowing his head slightly to show his sympathy.

Naruto slammed his fist into the wall behind him as he yelled.

"Absolutely not. I'm not going to let my nephew go through the same horrors that Neji had to go through. I'm the Hokage now, there's gotta be something I can do to stop this."

"I am afraid there is nothing you can do, Naruto," Hiashi replied. "As you already know, the Hyuga Clan gives generous donations to the Leaf Village, asking that you protect our laws in return."

"But you're the clan leader," Tenten said, her body shaking slightly as she spoke. "You can do something to stop this, can't you?"

Hiashi closed his eyes and shook his head. "I have already pushed my luck enough to let you become Kugi's Genin squad leader. There isn't anything else I can do. This is a clan tradition."

"Wait, hold on," Naruto said, holding a hand to his head in confusion. "The curse mark is designed to protect members of the Hyuga Clan's Main Family, am I right?"

"Yes," Hiashi replied, nodding.

"So why is Himawari the reason Kugi is getting the curse mark? Hinata isn't in the Main Family anymore, so neither would Himawari. Hinata was pushed to the Branch Family before she was even a Genin when it was decided that Hanabi would be the heir."

Hinata's eyes narrowed in thought. "But I'm not in the Branch Family anymore, am I Father?"

"That is correct," Hiashi said to his daughter.

"What?" Naruto asked in a confused tone. "I have no clue what's going on."

Hinata took a deep breath before she explained. "It is true that when Hinabi and I were young, the council decided that Hanabi would be the heir, automatically annexing me to the Branch Family. But that's not the case anymore. Since Hinabi has not yet had any children and I have, that makes me the Hyuga Clan heir once again. Right, Father?"

Hiashi nodded his head once again. "You are. And since the child of the Main Family member has awoken her Byakugan, the closest male relative, whom also possesses the Byakugan, must receive the curse mark."

Once the situation was thoroughly explained, Tenten and Hinata were silent and stared at the ground. Contrary to them, Naruto walked over to his desk and dramatically slammed his fists down on it.

"Arugh, I promised Neji that I would become Hokage and change the Hyuga Clan for the better. Now, look at me. My own daughter is the reason that another Hyuga child is going to suffer and I can't do anything as the Hokage."

Naruto clenched his fists even harder. Hinata walked over to her husband and placed a hand on his shoulder, attempting to calm him down.

"Everything will turn out fine, Naruto. I know it will."

Hinata looked up at her father.

"How long until this is supposed to take place?"

"Well, I believe Kugi has a mission coming up soon?" Hiashi asked, turning his head to look at Tenten.

"Yeah," she said, her voice cracking slightly. "It's my team's first C rank. It's an escort mission outside the village."

Hiashi nodded. "The Council has decided to do the Curse Mark Jutsu once Kugi has returned from his mission."

"How long do you think the mission will take?" Naruto asked Tenten, picking his head up from his desk.

"I'm not sure. We're going to the Hidden Waterfall Village, so at least four days there and back."

"Well, then that gives me four days to figure some way out of this situation."

Hiashi's face was emotionless as he spoke to his son-in-law.

"I do not believe that you will find a way out of this. This has been a Hyuga tradition for centuries. Regardless, I do wish you luck."

Hiashi finished with a small bow before he exited Naruto's office and returned downstairs. Naruto followed suit by standing up. He placed his hand on top of where Hinata's was placed on his shoulder. He gave her a sad smile and the two walked over to the door. Before leaving, Naruto turned around to look at Tenten. She was staring blankly at the floor with no clear expression on her face. In a confident voice, Naruto spoke to her.

"I will not let anything like that happen to Kugi, you hear? I promise you that, Tenten."

Tenten looked up and replies with her thanks, though still not showing any emotion. After Naruto and Hinata left, Tenten sat on the couch in the room and held her face with her hands.

"Neji, what do I do?" she silently mumbled to herself.

After a few minutes of silence, Tenten took a deep breath and returned downstairs from Naruto's office. The moment she got on the ground level, Boruto came running up to her in excitement.

"Miss Tenten! Teach me hot to throw shuriken like Kugi. Pretty please?"

Tenten lifted an eyebrow in confusion.

"What are you talking about?"

Instead of replying, Boruto grabbed Tenten's hand and lead her to the backyard of the Uzumaki house. Standing in the middle of the yard stook Kugi with a determined look on his face. Almost instantaneously, he threw nine shuriken at a target handing on the fence. There was a moment of interruption as Kugi hesitated before throwing his last shuriken.

"Come on kiddo, you can do it," Tenten whispered to herself.

Kugi threw the shuriken in his hand and it hit in the dead center of the target. As Boruto ran up to congratulate his cousin, it was obvious that Kugi was shocked by his own feat. Tenten smiled and was going to walk over to Kugi, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her from proceeding. She turned around to see Hiashi standing behind her.

"He truly is his mother's son," he said with a smile as he looked at his grandson.

Kugi turned around, hearing his grandfather's voice, but not hearing what was said.

"Did you see that Grandpa? I hit all ten!"

"I did see. I am very proud of you Kugi. Your training with Tenten is really paying off."

Kugi gave a bright smile and continued to practice aiming with Boruto. Tenten gave a small laugh as she watched her son.

"I don't think I've ever seen him this excited. He always has a blank expression on his face, just like Neji did," Tenten said.

"That is true," Hiashi replied. "The only other time I have seen him this happy is when he found out that his new Sensei was his father's teammate."

Hearing Hiashi's words made Tenten smile in pride. So far Tenten has been the only one who is able to break Kugi out of his shell.

After a few more minutes of Hiashi and Tenten watching Kugi and Boruto in the backyard, Hiashi cleared his throat and called out to Kugi.

"Kugi, we must be leaving. I still have things that need to be attended to at the compound."

Kugi turned around and frowned at his grandfather.

"But Grandpa, I want to stay and teach Boruto some more."

"I am sorry, but we cannot stay any longer."

"Please Grandpa?" Kugi pleaded. "I can stay here and go home with Tenten Sensei. I can stay the night at her house and we can go to the training grounds together tomorrow morning."

Hiashi paused for a moment, contemplating Kugi's request. He glanced over to Tenten, silently asking for her opinion.

Tenten shrugged. "I don't' have a problem with it, as long as it's okay with you."

Hiashi sighed before looking at Kugi.

"I will allow you to stay the night with your Sensei, but you must be back home right after training is over."

"Yes!" Kugi cheered. He looked over to Boruto and smiled eagerly.

"Let's go inside so I can show you what I can do with the Byakugan."

"Cool!" Boruto exclaimed before chasing Kugi back into Naruto and Hinata's house. Before he made it inside, Hiashi called out to Kugi once more.

"Please be polite and don't impede on Tenten."

Kugi gave no reply as he ran into the house. Hiashi sighed in response.

"I admire his eagerness, but it was so much simpler trying to raise Neji."

Tenten chuckled. Soon after, a grim look appeared on her face.

"Are you sure it's okay for Kugi to stay with me? Won't the Council get angry."

"What the Council doesn't know won't hurt them," Hiashi said with a slight smirk. "Besides, it is important for a student to bond with his teacher, regardless of who they are. I spent the night at my Sensei's house many times when I was a Genin. I see no problem with him staying with you."

"Thank you, Hiashi," Tenten said, giving the man a small bow.

"You are very welcome," he said, bowing in return. "I shall now bid ado to my daughter before I depart. It was nice seeing you again, Tenten. Please do not get too shaken up about the curse mark. It's just something that has to be done."

"I understand," Tenten said quietly.

Hiahsi nodded to her as he turned and made his way into the house to search for his daughter. Tenten sighed and followed him in soon after and made her way to the kitchen. She ungracefully placed herself on a stool beside the countertop. She groaned and placed her head down on top of her arms. She felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned her head so she could see who was touching her. When she turned, she saw Metal Lee looking up at her with a sad face.

"What is making you upset, Miss Tenten?"

Ignoring Metal's question, Tenten quickly got up from her seat and crouched down to give the boy a bone-crushing hug.

"Metal! I'm so happy to see you! How are you doing?"

The young boy held up his thumb and gave Tenten a bright smile, a spitting image of his father when he was Metal's age.

"I am doing wonderful, Miss Tenten. My Papa says that my youthful power is getting stronger every day."

Tenten laughed lightly at the boy. "I have to say that I agree with him."

Metal struck a 'good guy' pose, strikingly similar to that of his father's. After giving Tenten a big smile, Metal turned to look at his father.

"May I go play with Boruto, Papa?"

"Of course you may, my son."

Metal flashed his father a smile before he took off in a search for the Uzumaki boy. Once Metal was gone, Lee placed a hand on Tenten's shoulder.

"What is it that is causing your frown, my dear flower?" Lee asked.

Tenten sighed heavily, staring at the ground as she spoke.

"Himawari awakened her Byakugan and that means the Kugi has to get the curse mark."

Lee gasped slightly. "That is terrible, Tenten."

"I know," she said, her frustration becoming more evident. "But there's nothing I can do about it. There's no way around the stupid Hyuga family law."

Lee gave Tenten a shrug. "I do not believe it will be as bad as you believe it will, Tenten. Neji lived his life with a curse mark without a problem."

"That's not true," Tenten said while shaking her head. "Neji was absolutely miserable. He thought the whole world was against him and wanted nothing more than to kill his own cousin. I don't want Kugi to have to live like that. I want him to be happy and as strong as he can possibly be."

Lee took a moment to stare at Tenten sympathetically, choosing the right words that would ease Tenten's worries. Before he had the chance to speak any of those words, Boruto came running down the stairs, yelling loudly.

"Come back here so I can kick your butt, Kugi!"

The commotion gained Tenten and Lee's attention. The two turned towards Boruto as he was swiftly scanning his surroundings, looking for Kugi. Tenten then felt a tap on her back. She curiously turned around and noticed Kugi standing behind her.

"Can we please leave now, Sensei?" Kugi asked the Jonin.

Before Tenten had a chance to answer, Boruto spotted Kugi and started running towards him.

"Get over here, Kugi!"

Kugi rolled his eyes as Boruto came running towards him. Before Boruto could land any kits on Kugi, Boruto was being pulled into the air. He turned his head around to see his father holding him up by his shirt, an angry look on his face.

"Boruto," Naruto sighed. "What did I tell you about running and fighting in the house?"

"But Dad! Kugi kept making fun of me. He said that I'm never going to make it into the academy."

"Kugi!" Tenten said as she gave her student a disapproving look.

"What? It's true," Kugi said, giving a shrug. "He can't even do a simple shadow clone."

"Oh yeah! Watch me!"

Boruto struggled to get out of his father's grasp. Naruto let go and once Boruto was standing back on the ground he brought his hands up to make a hand sign.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Right next to Boruto appeared a crude, pale copy of himself. The clone was lifeless and was slumped against the floor. Boruot gasped at the clone while Kugi chuckled.

"See, I told you he couldn't do it."

Tenten turned to Kugi and scowled down at him.

"I really think you owe your cousin an apology."

"But why?" Kugi said with a frown.

"Because you're older than him and you need to be a good example for him."

Kugi simply stared at Tenten, intent on not apologizing.

"And if you don't, I'll let your grandfather know what happened here."

Tenten smirked as Kugi's face went pale and his eyes went wide. He looked over to Boruto and spoke.

"I'm sorry for teasing you, Boruto."

Boruto stood still, staring at the floor until his father nudged him int he back with his elbow. Boruto stumbled forward a bit and looked back at this father. Naruto was staring down at his son, waiting for a reply. Boruto sighed and turned towards Kugi.

"Apology accepted."

The two adults smiled at their children. Tenten's thoughts were cut off when Kugi turned to look at her. Her eyes widened slightly as she gave him her attention.

"Can we leave now?"

"I guess we can," Tenten said with a smile. She walked over to Naruto and gave him a hug before leaving.

"Congratulation Naruto. Everyone is so proud of you and all that you have accomplished."

"Thank you, Tenten."

Tenten looked over to Kugi as he bowed politely in front of Naruto. Naruto's only response was a chuckle as he ruffled Kugi's hair. Tenten muttered her last goodbyes to as many people as she could before she left the Uzumaki house along with Kugi.

* * *

The next chapter will hopefully come really soon, maybe even the same day. I have it all typed out on my phone notes so I just need to get it onto FF. Thanks, everyone for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

So I was typing out the next chapter and I realized it was really long, so I'm gonna split it up. So anyway... yeah here's the quick update I promised :)

* * *

(4 months ago)

Tenten knocked on the Hokage's door and waited for permission to enter.

"Come in," she heard Tsunade shout from inside the office.

Tenten opened the door and stepped forward.

"Ah yes, Tenten. I'm glad you came. I think that it's about time for you to teach your own Genin team."

Tenten's eyes went wide with excitement in response to what she just heard.

"Really?" she asked. "That's so exciting. Of course, I'll do it. I'd love the opportunity to nurture the next generation."

"Wonderful," Tsunade said with a smile. "I was hoping that was going to be your answer, so I took the liberty of already getting your team put together."

Tsunade looked at a few stacks of paper on her desk and pulled out three pieces of paper from one of the stacks. She places on paper out on her desk so Tenten could see the contents.

First is Jin. Both his parents died during the war, leaving him orphaned and under Kabuto's care. he has an immense amount of chakra. He's nearly up to par with some Jinchuriki. Sadly, he doesn't know how to control his chakra, so that' something you need to work on with him."

Tenten examined the photo on the shinobi paper. The boy had a small build but looked as if he was well nourished, contrary to most orphans. He had straight, blonde hair that hugged the side of his head, just barely touching his shoulders and bright green eyes. The boy also had a scar that ran vertically on his cheek, near his ear. Once Tenten had a good look at the boy's features, she nodded to Tsunade before she placed another paper next to Jin's.

"Next is Mie Fukukima. Her family has some of the most renowned and skillful medics in all of the Land of Fire. I personally trust every member of this family that works at my hospital. She's not very strong when it comes to combat, but she's very detail oriented and has strong problem-solving skills."

The girl in the picture was extremely petite. Her skin was more tan than most people in the Hidden Leaf Village. She has brown eyes and her long black hair was tied back into two braids. Tenten nodded once more as Tsunade placed down one more paper on her desk. Tenten squinted at the picture of the child on the paper, recognizing the face, but not quite remembering how she recognized it.

"Finally," Tsunade began. "We have Kugi Hyuga."

When Tsunade spoke the name of Tenten's son, her eyes snapped up and her mouth was left agape. She slowly looked back down at the picture. Of course, the pupil-less lavender eyes are what gave away that he was a Hyuga. He was the spitting image of Neji. He had straight brunette hair that was tied back into a loose ponytail. He was extremely lean but did have a strong build for a boy his age. Tsunade simply smiled at Tenten's awed face as she continued.

"Despite being only 7 years old, Kugi has really made a name for himself. He was the top of his class and got perfect scores in both combat and intellect. You're very familiar with the characteristics of the Hyuga clan, so I won't bother with telling you his specialties."

When Tsunade stopped speaking, she looked up at Tenten, awaiting a reply. When she did not receive one, Tsunade spoke again.

"Is there a problem here, Tenten?"

Tenten stuttered a few times before speaking.

"I- I don't understand?"

"What's there not to understand?" Tsunade said, playing devil's advocate.

"I thought that the Hyuga Clan said that-"

Tsunade quickly cut off what Tenten was saying.

"Hiashi Hyuga himself requested you to be his grandson's Sensei. If there is an issue, I must have to ask you to please take it up with him. In the meantime, please read over these shinobi papers. Your kids were told to meet at the seventh training grounds at 5 o'clock in the morning tomorrow. I wish you and your new team good luck."

"Thank you, Lady Tsunade," Tenten said with a boy.

xxx

The door in front of Tenten swung open quickly after she knocked on it. Standing on the other side was a Hyuga Branch Family member.

"What is your business here?" he snapped at Tenten.

"I wish to speak with Hiashi if I can."

The man frowned. "Who do you think you are, a commoner, demanding Lord Hiashi's presence? He is a very busy man and does not-"

"Jiro, please, cease this nonsense."

The boy turned around quickly and bowed at Hiashi.

"Yes, but sir-"

"Please, Tenten, if you could follow me," Hiashi said cutting off the guard. He continued to frown at Tenten as she passed by him, following Hiashi. Hiashi and Tenten stayed silent as they walked through the Hyuga compound. Eventually, the two stopped at a door. Hiashi slowly slid the door open and motioned for Tenten to step inside. Tenten walked in and stood next to Hiashi against the wall near the door. When she got a chance to glance around the room, she gasped at the sight before her.

In the middle of the room, sparing with Hanabi was a young boy with a shinobi headband. At first glance, the boy was the spitting image of Neji Hyuga, but after a close look, Tenten could see some slight differences, such as a sharper eye shape and a lighter shade of brunette hair. Tenten let out a small gasp as tears welled up in her eyes.

"Is that..." Tenten quietly asked Hiashi.

"That is Kugi Hyuga, son of Neji Hyuga."

Tenten smiled brightly and looked at the boy. Even though Hanabi is eleven years his senior, Kugi still managed to hold his own while sparing with her. He was able to counter nearly every attack she had and even came close to landing a few attacks himself. After many minutes of watching the two Hyuga spar, Hiashi loudly cleared his throat, causing Hanabi and Kugi to pause and look over to Hiashi.

"That is enough for today. Excellent work, Kugi. Hanabi, you are dismissed. Kugi, please come over here for a moment."

Hanabi bowed to her father before leaving the room. Kugi silently walked over to where his grandfather was and gave him a small bow, looking up at him and waiting for him to speak.

"This is Tenten," Hiashi began. "She will be your Genin instructor beginning tomorrow."

Kugi turned towards Tenten and gave her a boy.

"Hello, Miss Tenten."

Tenten opened her mouth to speak, but she struggled to form any words. She quickly cleared her throat and tried to talk again.

"Hi, Kugi. It's very nice to meet you."

Kugi nodded to Tenten, keeping a stoic look on his face. He turned back to his grandfather.

"Grandfather, may I freshen up before dinner?"

"Yes, you may," Hiashi replied.

Kugi gave one final bow to both Hiashi and Tenten before he left the room. Tenten simply stared at the spot her son was once standing. She had no clue how much time had passed before she heard Hiashi's voice.

"I know he is young, but Kugi has so much strength and an even greater amount of potential to learn more. He truly works hard and-"

"I don't understand why this is happening," Tenten said, cutting off Hiashi.

"I beg your pardon?" Hiashi asked with a confused look.

"Why did you choose for me to be Kugi's sensei? I'm not supposed to see him, let alone speak with him. Aren't Kugi and I both in danger just for me being here?"

Hiashi looked at Tenten with a determined glance.

"The final decision of the Council was for Kugi to never learn the true identity of his mother and for you to be unable to visit him within the Hyuga compounds. Today, I would make the argument that you are not violating the second rule, for you are simply meeting your student for the first time."

Tenten shook her head. "But I don't think I'll be able to keep the fact that I'm his mother a secret. He's going to ask questions about Neji eventually and I wouldn't know what to say to him."

"The identity of Kugi's father is not being withheld from him. He is aware of many things, such as his father being Neji Hyuga and that his father died during the Fourth Great Shinobi War. You may truthfully answer any question. The only thing Kugi must not know is the identity of his mother."

Tenten slowly shook her head and looked down at the floor.

"I'm just not quite sure about this..." Tenten began.

Hiashi smirked before he spoke.

"You know, Kugi has excellent skills with projectile weapons. It is a skill that is unheard of in the Hyuga Clan. Believe it or not, despite having the Byakugan, when it is not activated, Hyugas have very poor vision. It's quite astonishing that Kugi has been able to achieve a 90% accuracy despite this handicap. When I told him that his sensei was a weapon master he became extremely excited. He wants to hone this skill he has and no one in the Hyuga family is able to aide him."

Tenten looked up at Hiashi and smiled brightly at him.

"Okay, I'll do it. I'll be his sensei."

Hiashi returned Tenten's smile.

"Excellent. Best luck to you in the future."

xxx

"Where is our sensei? It's been nearly 10 minutes and he's still not here."

Jin paced around the training field, anxiously waiting for his sensei to appear and for his team to begin training. Mie sat a few feet away from him and watched Jin as he paced. Kugi was sitting on the ground with his eyes closed, leaning against a tree a short distance away, but not so far away that his teammates could not hear him.

"Our sensei is a woman," Kugi muttered.

Jin scuffed. "Well, I guess that explains why she's late."

Mie scowled at her pacing teammate. "Jin!"

"Look," Jin began his rebuttal. "All I'm saying is that-"

Jin was cut off when a shuriken went wizzing right past his ear and landed on the grass in front of him. Jin stumbles bakwards at the sight and Mie stood up from the ground and also made some distance from the weapon. The two Genin looked over to the forest where the shuriken came from and saw a tall women in a Chinese style garment and sporting her hair in two buns on top of her head. Jin and Mie stared wide eyed at the woman as she stared back with a calm glare. After many awkward moments of silence, Tenten spoke.

"You guys are ninjas now. You need to always be alert. I could have easily killed you and none of you would have suspected a thing. You must keep your guard up from this point on or you will die. Understand?"

Mie and Jin slowly nodded with a scared look on their faces. Kugi had opened his eyes at this point and had a small smirk on his face. He's going to have lots of fun training under this woman.

Tenten cleared her throat and began walking towards the middle of the training field. When she first moved, Jin and Mie jumped and stared to tremble slightly. Realizing that their training was beginning, Kugi stood up from his spot at the forest's edge and made his way over to his teammates and stood by Mie. Tenten took a moment to scan her team before speaking.

"Alright, well let's start with introductions. Say your name, something you like, something you don't like, and what your goal is. I'll go first. My name is Tenten. I like panda bears. I don't like pickled plums. My goal is to become the first woman on the Anbu Special Weapons Force."

Once Tenten was done talking, Mie raised her hand. Tenten have her a silent nod, inviting her to interject.

"Is both your first and last name Ten, or do you only go by your given name?"

"I was orphaned when I was young and I don't not have a family name because of that."

Mie gave Jin a glance after hearing Tenten's answer. The boy perked up when he heard Tenten and looked at her with awe inspiring eyes. Tenten noticed this and addressed him.

"How about you go next."

Jin nodded. "My name is Jin. I was also orphaned and do not have a family name. I like sweet buns and I don't like doing chores around the orphanage. My goal is to create my own special jutsu."

There was a scuff heard and Tenten, Mie, and Jin looked over to Kugi. He has a smug smile on his face as he looked over at Jin. Kugi then simply shook his head closed his eyes in relaxation. Mie gave Kugi a quick look of disgust before she introduced herself.

"I am Mie Fukukima. I like helping my mom at the hospital. I don't like seeing people die and my goal is to start an organ transplant foundation for shinobi across all the villages."

Tenten nodded her head and gave a small smile. She then looked over to Kugi, waiting for his introduction. The boy sighed and opened his eyes.

"I am Kugi Hyuga. I like meditating at my house. I don't like most of my family. My goal is to learn more about myself and my parents."

Tenten's eyes got wider as she tried her best to keep her composure. She wanted nothing more than to hug the boy and tell him that his mommy was here. Instead, Tenten turned her gaze away from her son and she addressed her team.

"Now that everyone knows each other, it's time for you three to do your first shinobi test."

"Test?" Jin said. "I thought we took all out tests at the academy."

Tenten shook her head. "Every mission you go on is a test. Being a shinobi is a giant test in itself. The academy was only the beginning."

Tenten walked around her genin squad and sat on the ground in the middle of the field. She set up a clock in front of her and looked up at the three Genin.

"You three have 4 hours to take both of my hair buns out. You may use whatever means you choose to use to complete your task. If you do not complete your task in the allowed time, all three of you will be sent back to the academy."

The Genins' faces got pale as they watched their sensei.

"You may begin whenever you are ready," Tenten said, looking up at her students.

* * *

Next chapter will pick up where we left off here.


	4. Chapter 4

(Still 4 months ago)

Mie held a hand to her chin as she thought about a plan of attack.

"Okay, I think we should work together and get her distracted-"

"Aghhhhhh!"

Before Mie had a chance to finish her idea, Jin took off charging towards Tenten at full force. Mie held out a hand, trying to stop Jin but she was unable to grab him in time. When Jin got close to Tenten, he jumped up and stuck his leg out, attempting to land a kick on Tenten. Instead of landing the kick, Tenten grabbed onto Jin's leg while he was still in the air, and swung him around and tossed him across the forest. She made sure not to be too rough with the boy so he simply skidded across the grass. He looked up at Tenten with heavy breathing and frightened eyes.

"She a Jonin, you idiot," Kugi said, breaking the silence after a few moments. "There's no way you can land a kick in her. You're not strong enough."

"Oh yeah," Jin said standing up placing his hands on his hips. "Why don't you try then."

"Gladly," Kugi said before taking off towards Tenten. He took two kunai out of his bag, activated his Byakugan and charged at Tenten. He then activated his 64 palms and began to bombard Tenten with many attacks. Typically the 64 palms used an open, gentle fist, but Kugi was able to modify it and make it his own with the use of his kunai.

Kugi circled around Tenten quickly, slashing away at her. Unfortunately, Kugi could not make any attacks at Tenten. She blocked every single hit, almost predicting where it would land. When Kugi finally got to 64 palms, he increased his strength and speed in an attempt to land a hit. When Kugi had his arms stretched out, nearly inches from Tenten's hair, he smiled at his success. Then, all too soon, Tenten grabbed his arm to block his attack and went for a counterattack of her own. Kugi noticed that she also has a kunai in her hand but never recalled her ever taking one out of her bag.

Kugi and Tenten's hand to hand combat lasted for at least an hour. The Genin was able to keep up the entire time, but it was obvious that Kugi was nearing his last leg of strength. Deciding to end the on-going charade, Tenten quickly made five shadow clones and charged at Kugi in all directions. Kugi smirked as she approached him.

"A surrounded attack will never work against my Byakugan," Kugi spoke in a sly manner.

He placed one foot back behind him and prepared himself for the upcoming attack. The shadow clone directly in front of Kugi was the one that attacked first. He was quickly able to slash at it and watch it disappear with a puff of smoke. He then pivoted and started to attack the remaining clones around him. Once all five were defeated, he searched around for the real Tenten. Before he had a chance to spot her, she caught Kugi in a headlock and has her kunai pointed at the back of his neck. The field was silent as Kugi froze with his eyes wide. after a short time, Mie leaned over and whispered to Jin.

"How could she have pinned Kugi like that? No one can get around his Byakugan."

"I don't know," Jin said with a timid shake of his head.

Tenten smirked down at Kugi as he watched her with wide eyes.

"Whoops, found your blind spot."

Kugi took a moment to think through his situation. Tenten didn't have a tight hold on him, so he could easily get away, but he wouldn't be able to get an advantage of being this close to her again. Choosing the best answer, Kugi quickly turned around and got himself out of Tenten's grasp. As he was in midair, he took a quick slash at Tenten, hoping to hit something. Before he had a chance to see if his hit was successful, he placed a foot on the ground and took a quick jump backward, distancing himself from Tenten. Once he was far enough away, he looked up to notice that Tenten had a small cut on her cheek.

Kugi turned around to acknowledge his teammates but before he could speak, Mie rushed past him, towards Tenten. Tenten noticed the girl running at her with top speed and Tenten placed herself in a defensive position.

"Now I get to see what you're made of," Tenten said quietly.

Once Mie got close enough to Tenten, she jumped up to get eye level with her. Mie pulled one fist back and brought it around to try to hit Tenten. Tenten easily saw the attack coming and blocked it, but she was unaware of what Mie's other hand was doing. Instead of attacking with her other hand, Mie simply reached out and touched the cut on Tenten's face. Tenten tried to grab ahold of her, but Mie was too quick. Once she had Tenten's blood on her hand, Mie sprinted back to where she previously stood. Jin stared at her with a confused face.

"Mie, what are you doing?"

Mie looked over to Jin. "Be quiet and just watch."

Kugi and Jin watched as Mie slammed her hands together in a praying fashion. She closed her eyes and took a moment to concentrate before she opened her eyes and shouted.

"Crimson Control Jutsu!"

Tenten also watched the girl, confused by her actions. Mie started to slowly move her hands apart and began to move them around in the space in front of her. Tenten noticed that she was losing control of her body and she realized what was happening. Mie was controlling the blood flow in her body. Jin started at Mie in shock.

"How in the world is she doing that?" he asked Kugi.

"This is Mie's family's secret Jutsu. Once she has someone else's blood on her hand, she can control the flow of that person's blood within their body. It's very helpful in the medical field with surgeries and other procedures, but it is also very helpful on the battlefield as well."

Jin looked up at Tenten and saw that she was struggling to regain control of her body. Her hand was shaking as it reached up towards her hair. Mie stared at Tenten with a concentrated look on her face and continued to move her own hands, guiding Tenten's movements. Soon enough, Tenten's hand reached up to her hair and grabbed ahold of the hair tie holding one of Tenten's hair buns up. Tenten took out her own hair tie and half of her hair cascaded down her shoulder. Mie smiled as she began to work on the other bun.

"Yes, you can do this Mie!" Jin shouted from behind her. Kugi stood still and spoke to Jin.

"This is a powerful Jutsu, yes, but because it is so strong, it uses up an extreme amount of chakra. My guess is that Mie won't be able to hold the Jutsu much longer."

Immediately after Kugi spoke, Mie dropped her arms to her side and she started to pant. Seeing Mie's guard down, Tenten ran towards Mie to make an attack. Before Tenten could reach her, Kugi appeared and grabbed ahold of Mie before he took off back to the other side of the training field. Kugi carefully set her down on the ground and both Kugi and Jin stood in front of her.

"I've had about enough of this. How hard is it to take a girl's hair tie out?" Jin said, his frustration clearly evident.

"Mie was able to take one of her buns out, so it's not impossible for us to do it. We just need to keep hitting her with all that we have."

Jin gritted his teeth. "Gladly," he said before taking off towards Tenten.

Tenten readied herself for Jin's attack. he got to her a lot quicker than when he first attacked her and there was a rage in his eyes. He began to throw erratic punched at Tenten and she managed to block each one. As his punches progressed, Tenten noticed that she felt significant pain in her arms. She jumped back a few feet in order to examine herself. She didn't have any cuts on her arms, so she wasn't poisoned. When she looked up at Jin, she noticed something peculiar.

Surrounding Jin's hands were a red glow. Jin was manifesting his chakra into a physical form and using it to increase the intensity of his attacks. Tsunade wasn't kidding when she said Jin has uncontrollable chakra.

Tenten continued to block all of Jin's attacks after he ran back up to her. After much time passed, Tenten could no longer raise her hands up quick enough to block Jin's attacks. Making a split second decision, Tenten reached around and grabbed a kunai from her pouch. Before she could use it against Jin, he landed a hit on her shoulder, sending Tenten flying across the field. The pain she felt in her shoulder was excruciating. Her shoulder was was most likely dislocated.

Jin ran towards her again as Tenten heard Mie call out.

"Jin, calm down a little."

Tenten didn't have time to ponder Mie's call and she put her own shoulder back into place before she continued to spar. This time, she chose to take more of a dodge defense, pivoting quickly to move out of the way of Jin's strikes. The more the fight went on, the angrier Jin got and the more intense his chakra around his hands became. Tenten heard Mie call out another time.

"Jin!"

Jin ignored Mie's shout and continued to throw punches at Tenten. Tenten's energy began to drain quickly as she was unable to dodge every attack, taking many hits to her body. She took small steps back as Jin attacked her, trying to get some distance away from Jin and gain enough time to think of a strategy. Suddenly, Tenten found herself backed up against a tree on the edge of the field. Jin pulled his hand back, aiming a punch at Tenten's face. unable to think of any solutions, Tenten squeezed her eyes shut and prepared herself for the attack.

"JIN, STOP!" Mie called out once again.

Tenten never felt the hit after that. She slowly opened her eyes to see Jin standing in front of her, his arm still pulled back, prepped to attack. There was still a cloud of chakra surrounding his hands, but much it was much less intense that it had been previously. He looked into Tenten's eyes with fear.

"The task is to let her hair down, not kill her," Mie shouted across the field.

Jin stood motionless as she stared up at Tenten with wide eyes. Tenten took this opportunity and dashed away from the boy. There were only two other times in her life she felt as weak and powerless as she did just then: when a drunken Lee tried to attack her while she was pregnant and when she saw Neji's lifeless body for the first time.

As Tenten crouched on the other side of the field, catching her breath, Mie and Kugi ran towards Jin. When Mie got close enough to Jin, she placed her hands on his shoulders and gave him a worried glance.

"Are you okay, Jin?"

Jin trembled before replying. "Yeah, I think I'm fine. Is our sensei okay?"

"I think she'll manage," Kugi said, glancing in Tenten's direction.

"This is exactly why I didn't want to be a shinobi," Jin said, slamming his hands down on his legs. "I just can't control myself. I just attack anyone in sight, friend or foe. I can't do this anymore."

"Listen,' Kugi said, slapping Mie's hands away from Jin. "You have unimaginable strength. That's why you were placed on a Genin team with a teacher to help you control that strength. If you stay on this team, I know that both Mie and I would benefit from and be thankful for that. But if you want to quit, fine, go ahead and quit. Just don't get in my way if you do."

Jin looked up at Kugi and stared into his pale eyes. Soon after, he closed his eyes and a smile spread across his face.

"Y'know, for a kid five years younger than me, you have quite the wisdom."

"I'm not a kid," Kugi mumbled.

Jin ignored Kugi's comment and looked over to Mie. "Okay, there is no way any of us can beat her one on one. If we're going to do this, we need to work together."

"That's what I've been trying to tell you two all along!" Mie said as she glared at her teammates. Kugi and Jin looked down at the ground, avoiding eye contact.

Mie sighed. "Better late than never, I guess. Okay, I have a plan..."

xxx

Tenten was crouched on the other side of the training field taking deep breathes and keeping a careful eye on her students. They were currently huddled close to each other, most likely coming up with a team plan to get Tenten's hair completely out of her buns.

"It's about time," Tenten said to herself with a smile.

Tenten continued to watch the Genin until they all turned to look at her. Tenten stood up and readied herself for an attack. Soon after, Jin and Kugi started running towards her. The two boys got to her quickly and started to attack her, each wielding their own kunai. The managed to block many of the attacks, but she has to admit that the boys were fast and she was using a lot of focus to keep up with them.

Kugi got behind Tenten at one point and tried to reach for her hair. Knowing that the attack as coming ahead of time, Tenten held up both her hands behind her head to block. With Tenten's front side being wider open, Jin ran up to Tenten and slid on the ground, going between her legs. As he did, he took a quick slash at the inside of her leg, causing a cut to begin bleeding. Tenten tried to get a hold of Jin after he cut her but he was too fast and he ran off to where Mie was standing.

Once Jin got to Mie, he held up his kunai to her and she slid her hand across it, getting some of Tenten's blood on her hand. Jin ran back to Tenten as Kugi continued to attack her while this was happening and Tenten began to panic, knowing that she would soon lose control of her body.

Mie activated her Jutsu and instead of going straight for her hair, the two boys made quick work of stripping Tenten of all her weapons. They unclipped her pouch from her pants and found all her scrolls before tossing them across the field. Soon after, Mie lost control of her Jutsu, her chakra level still low from when she previously used her Jutsu. At that point, Tenten quickly got out of Jin and Kugi's range.

The boys did not hesitate as they approached her again. Jin came at Tenten from the front while Kugi veered off to the side. Tenten was unable to see where Kugi was going because her attention was spent on blocking Jin's attack. While she was a well-trained ninja and she spent most of her time training in hand-to-hand combat, she had to admit that she felt uncomfortable and exposed without her weapons readily available. As Jin continued to attack her, she heard a noise behind her.

So that was their plan. Jin was a distraction for Kugi's attack. It was a pretty elementary strategy, but Tenten was happy that they were working together, nonetheless.

Timing out her defense, Tenten waited for Kugi to get close enough to her so she could block both him and Jin. She quickly succeeded in her plan, but she noticed that Mie was no longer standing at the field's edge. Tenten realized all too late where exactly Mie was. Tenten turned her head slightly to see Mie in the air, reaching out towards Tenten's head. Jin wasn't the distraction for Kugi, Kugi was the distraction for Mie.

Mie stretched her arm out as far as she could and reacher out to Tenten's hair. She was millimeters away from grasping Tenten's follicles when the timer at the middle of the field started to go off. Mie successfully managed to let down Tenten's hair regardless and half of her hair tumbled down her head and joined the rest of her brunette locks.

The field was quiet except for the panting of all four members of the team. After everyone took a moment to stare at another, Jin was the one to break the silence.

"So that's it, we're going back to the academy."

"No, that's not fair," Mie interjected. "We completed our goal mear seconds after the timer went off. That still has to count for something, right?"

Mie looked up to Tenten with pleading eyes. Tenten eyed each of her students individually before she took a deep breath.

"Jin, Mie Fukukima, and Kugi Hyuga."

The three Genin looked down with disappointed looks, readying themselves for the news they were about to hear.

"Congratulations. You three are now members of Team Tenten."

There was a delayed reaction as the children processed tenten's words. Not soon after, three faces looked up from the ground, large smiles etched on their faces. The three Genin let out a cheer. Mie halted her celebration and looked up at Tenten.

"I'm happy we passed and all, but why? We didn't complete our task on time."

"Your task wasn't to take out my hair in less than four hours," Tenten said. This earned confused looks from all three of her students.

"What is the number rule of being a shinobi?" Tenten asked.

"To do all you can to complete your mission," Kugi replied.

Tenten nodded. "Exactly. And tell me, how are you supposed to do that if your teammates are dropping like flies around you?"

"Wait," Mie said, her eyes narrowed in thought. "So was our true task to work together as a team?"

"Precisely," Tenten said with a smile. "As Lord Kakashi always used to say, 'Those who break the rules are scum, but those who abandon their teammates are worse than scum.' You guys passed when the three of you came up with a plan and worked together."

"Sweet!" Jin shouted as jumped up in celebration.

Tenten smiled at her students. "You all worked very hard today. How about we go out for some grub to commemorate our new team. On me."

Jin and Mie gave Tenten excited nods as the turned and followed Tenten away from the training field. After a few steps, Tenten heard Kugi call out.

"Wait!"

Tenten, Jin, and Mie stopped and turned around to look at Kugi. He slowly walked up to Tenten before he spoke again.

"How did you know about the Byakugan's secret?"

Tenten sighed and grabbed onto Kugi, turning him away from her. She poked her finger at a point in his neck and looked over to Jin and Mie.

"Kugi's Byakugan has a blind spot right here. From this point forward, it is the job of you two to protect it. As long as you two are Kugi's teammates, you guys should never let anything get into his blind spot. Understand?"

Jin and Mie nodded at Tenten with wide eyes. Kugi turned back around, smacking Tenten's arm away in the process.

"Why would you tell them that?" Kugi said, his rage and irritation evident.

"Because they're your teammates," Tenten yelled at Kugi, getting closer to him. "You may think you're strong for being able to hide the fact that your Byakugan has a weakness, but you can't hide it forever. But that's not true strength. True strength is accepting that you have weaknesses and confiding in your teammates about those weaknesses. You could be attacked with a kunai right this second and you would never notice it, but your teammates will do all they can to help protect you and you will do the same for them in return."

Kugi looked into Tenten's eyes, his own eyes softening. The two stared at each other for a moment before Kugi gave Tenten a small bow.

"I apologize for my temper. I now understand why you told Mie and Jin. And please believe me when I say I will give my all to protect my teammates, including you, Sensei."

Tenten gave Kugi a wide smile and ruffled his hair. "That means a lot, kiddo. And enough with the bowing. We're not in the Hyuga Compound right now, so you have my permission to be casual."

Kugi returned Tenten smile and spoke again. "I do have one question before we leave?"

"And what's that?" Tenten asked with curiosity.

"How did you know about the Byakugan's blind spot? No one outside of the Hyuga Clan is allowed to know."

"That's funny," Tenten said with a chuckle. "'Cause I can name two other people that know about it."

"Who?" Kugi asked in shock.

"My sensei Maito Gai and my teammate Rock Lee."

Kugi continued to look at Tenten, unconvinced by her answer.

Tenten gave Kugi a small smirk. "My other teammate was from the Hyuga Clan. For the longest time, we all thought that his Byakugan was invincible. But then, he went on a mission with a group of Genin boys and they all ended up splitting up and my teammate had to fight one-on-one with someone. His enemy was able to discover on his own about the blind spot. My teammate neared death that day. Soon after that, he told us team about the blind spot because he'd rather have trust in his teammates and live another day than uphold his Hyuga pride and die to try to protect his family's secret."

Kugi's eyes grew wide and he looked up at Tenten with an excited face.

"Your teammate was in the Hyuga Clan? Who was he? I have to go home and find him and train from him."

Tenten's shoulders slumped at Kugi's question. She waited until some time passed before she answered Kugi.

"My teammate was Neji Hyuga."

* * *

A little later than I had hoped on the update. Maybe I'll get the next one out in a decent time. Next chapter we're gonna pick up where we left off on chapter 2! Please Review! I really appreciate hearing all your feedback!


	5. Chapter 5

Hi everyone. So sorry that I've been MIA, but good news, THIS STORY IS NOT ON HIATUS! I've just been so busy with school and a few health issues, but I'm getting back on track and this story will be finished! I just really can't guarantee when... Well, enjoy and please give me some reviews!

* * *

As Tenten and Kugi were walking towards Tenten's house, Tenten continued to scold Kugi for his actions at Naruto's house.

"I don't understand why you tease Boruto so much. One minute you're excited to teach him and be his pretend sensei and the next you two are at each other's throats."

Kugi sighed in frustration. "He thinks he's this great ninja with natural born talent, but he's not. He's just a silly kid that dreams too big. No one has natural talent. The only way you become a great ninja is by hard work and determination, just like you told us, Sensei."

Tenten chuckled. "While I do agree with you there, I do believe that natural talent can be a factor."

Kugi looked at Tenten with a confused look.

"Take yourself, for example," Tenten said. "When was the last time a 7-year-old graduated from the academy?"

Kugi took a moment to think.

"Grandfather told me that the last person to graduate the academy under the age of 12 was Itachi Uchiha. He was 7, just like me."

"Exactly," Tenten continued. "And that was nearly 30 years ago. Now I'll tell you right now that it wasn't your training with your grandpa that got you there. All you worked on up until that point at the compound was hand-to-hand combat. So if you ask me, I'd say it was your natural talent that helped you graduate at a young age."

Kugi looked away and pondered for a moment. He sighed, still looking straight ahead.

"I still don't think Boruto has any natural talent. He's just so weak."

"Did you know that the Hokage failed the graduation exam three times?" Tenten asked Kugi.

Kugi looked up at Tenten with confused eyes.

"What? There's no way."

"Mmhmm," Tenten said with a nod. "And do you know what kicked his butt every time he tried?"

Kugi stayed silent, waiting for Tenten to reveal the answer.

"Shadow clones."

Kugi's mouth hung agape in shock.

"But there's probably over 100 of his shadow clones walking around the village as we speak. Shadow clones are Lord Seventh's specialty."

"That's my point," Tenten began. "I'm not going to lie, Naruto was a complete loser when he was your age and was for a long time after that. It wasn't until he came back from his two-year training mission that he really started to blossom. Granted, he still acted like a loser the majority of the time, but when he was in battle, he was unstoppable."

Kugi smiles and turned his head to look up at Naruto's face on the cliff side of the village. He looked back at Tenten a moment later, silently urging her to continue.

"All I'm saying is to not sell Boruto short. Nobody's past should be a definition of himself or herself. Boruto looks up to you and gets really hurt when you do stuff like that to him. And if he's anything like his father, you're going to regret ever treating him like you do now."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Kugi mumbled. "He's just so annoying, y'know?"

Tenten chuckled. "Yeah, I know. You're going to have to deal with your fair share of annoying people, just like everyone else."

By time Tenten was finished talking, she and Kugi arrived at the front door of her house. She pulled out her key and unlocked the front door, stepping aside for Kugi to enter first. Kugi had been to Tenten's house many times for various meet ups with his team, be never has he had the chance to step inside and take a look around.

Tenten's house was bigger than Kugi expected for someone who lives on her own. The entryway leads into a large open living room space with the kitchen to the side, separated by a wall from the living room. In the back of the living room was a hallway that leads to two large bedrooms and a bathroom.

Tenten noticed Kugi gazing at her house. She smiled before speaking.

"You can have the giant bedroom in the back. Lee and Metal stay the night some times and sleep back there. It's a nice queen sized bed, a lot more comfortable than the futon you sleep on at the Hyuga Compound."

Kugi turned towards Tenten and bowed. "Thank you very much, Sensei."

Tenten shook her hands awkwardly in front of her body.

"Please, you don't have to be so formal. This is my house, not a training field. Relax and unwind."

"Got it," Kugi said with a nod.

Tenten smiles at him. "Do you want to watch some television or something before you go to bed? I can bring some snacks out."

"That'd be great," Kugi said as he took a seat on Tenten's couch. Tentne grabbed the remote to the TV and turned it on before handing Kugi the remote. She walked into the kitchen while Kugi searched for what he wanted to watch. A few minutes later, Tentne returned with a bowl of popcorn and placed it next to Kugi on the couch before seating herself on the other end of the couch. The two mindlessly watched what was on the TV before Kugi spoke.

"Can you tell me about my dad?"

Tenten was initially shocked but a smile quickly spread across her face.

"Of course. What do you want to hear?"

Kugi pondered for a moment. "Grandfather told me that my father received an honor for rescuing the Kazekage. Do you know that story?"

"Which time?" Tenten asked with a smirk.

"Wait," Kugi began to question. "My dad saved the Kazekage more than once?"

Tenten nodded. "Yup. The first time, he basically did it by himself. It was during the Chunin Exams and Neji realized that people were targeting the Kazekage and Neji helped save him. That was how Neji got promoted straight from Genin to Jonin."

"Wow," Kugi said with his eyes wide.

"But the time you're probably thinking of," Tenten continued. "Is when our whole team went out to try to save the Kazekage."

"You saved the Kazekage too?" Kugi asked with his eyes getting even wider.

"Sure did," Tenten confirmed. "I got the same honor that Neji did. So did Lee, Naruto, Sakura, Gai, and Kakashi."

Kugi sat up eagerly. "Can you tell me the story?"

Tenten chuckled. "Okay, of course, I will. You know that Lord Hokage left for a two-year training mission when he was young, right?"

Kugi nodded.

"Well, not a day after he returned, he was sent on a mission with Sakura and Lord Kakashi. The Sand sent a message to the Leaf asking for help rescuing the Kazekage and his brother. After Naruto's team took off, they weren't heard from for many days so Lady Tsunade sent us out as a support team. Along our way to meet up with Naruto, we were stopped by Kisame."

"The creepy shark guy in the Akatsuki?" Kugi asked.

"Yes, him. It took us a while to defeat him, and we almost drowned in the process, but we eventually go past him and met up with Naruto's team. Neji was able to find the Kazekage trapped inside a cave, but the cave was locked by a sealing jutsu. Including on the rock covering the cave, there were five seals around the area and they needed to be pulled off simultaneously. So our team took off to the four seals away from the cave. We used wireless radios and were able to get the seals off."

"So did you all go in and save the Kazekage?" Kugi asked.

"Not exactly," Tenten admitted with an embarrassed voice. "Sakura and Chiou, a woman from the Sand, had some trouble fighting Sasori, and Kakashi and Naruto also had some trouble with Deidara."

Kugi looked to Tenten in confusion. "Why didn't you guys come back and help them out?"

"Because there was a Jutsu tied to the four seals on the outskirts. When we took them off, clones of ourselves appeared."

"So what did you guys do?"

"We fought them, of course," Tenten said with a smile. "But what made it really tough was that as the fight progressed, we all got weaker from exhaustion but our clones stayed at the same strength level."

Kugi gave no verbal response, but his eyes got wider as he encouraged his teacher to continue.

"It was really tough for all of us," Tenten said. She smiled at Kugi before she spoke again. "Do you know what got us through it, though?"

Kugi shook his head, his interest never subsiding.

"Stronger than yesterday," Tenten said with a proud smile on her face.

Kugi gave Tenten a confused look. "What?"

"'Stronger than yesterday,' my team's motto that I passed down to your team, remember?"

"I thought that was 'hard work and determination,'" Kugi said with confusion.

Tenten flicked her hand at Kugi, ignoring his comment. "Well, a team can have a lot of mottos. Anyway, we brought up enough strength from deep inside of us so that we were stronger than the time when our clones were made and we eventually beat them."

"That's so cool," Kugi said with a smile.

"It was," Tenten said, returning Kugi's smile. "But it wasn't cool when we caught up with Naruto and his team. The tailed beast inside the Kazekage was extracted and he was dead once we met up with him."

Kugi's eyes got wide. "Holy shit."

Tenten glared at Kugi for his poor language but continued on with her story, nonetheless.

"Thankfully, Lady Chiou knew a Jutsu that could bring people back from the dead."

Kugi took a minute to ponder this new information before his eyes got wide in excitement.

"Are you kidding? How do I get ahold of this Jutsu? Maybe I can bring my dad back to life with it!"

Tenten placed her hand on Kugi's shoulder to try to calm him down. She had her eyes closed and she shook her head.

"It's not that simple, Kugi. The Jutsu is a life for a life. Lady Chiou sacrificed herself so the Kazekage could live. The Jutsu she used is forbidden. If we used it on Neji, someone else would have to take his place in death."

"Oh," Kugi responded sadly as he turned his attention to the floor. Tenten frowned and pulled Kugi's face up to look at her.

"I know how much it stinks not having your parents around, I really do, but never forget that your father is watching over you in ways you'll never know. And don't forget that you have a grandfather and two wonderful aunts that love you just as much as Neji would have."

Kugi took a moment to process Tenten's words before he gave her a small smile.

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

Tenten put her hands on her hips triumphantly. "Of course I am. I'm always right. I'm the greatest sensei in the whole world."

"Sure," Kugi said with a small scuff and a smile.

"Alright, smart ass. I think that you should high tail it to bed after that one. Besides, we have a long day tomorrow," Tenten said to her student.

"Sure thing, Sensei," Kugi said as he made his way to the spare bedroom in Tenten's house. Before he entered the room, Tenten yelled out to him.

"Hey, Kugi!"

Kugi turned around and acknowledged Tenten.

"Goodnight," Tenten said to Kugi with a soft smile.

Kugi returned Tenten's smile.

"Goodnight, Sensei."

* * *

Next chapter should be up soon, hopefully no later than two weeks. It's all chicken scratched out in my notebook so I just need to type it up and do a quick edit and it's good to go. Thanks everyone!


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